Owen Good

As PlayStation Network outages this time of year may arouse fears and bad memories, Sony wants everyone to know a 12-hour blackout tomorrow is entirely intentional, and necessary for "routine scheduled maintenance."

The PSN outrage will last from 9 am U.S. Eastern time until about 10 p.m., spanning about 13 hours. "During much of this time, users won't be able to access the PlayStation Store, PlayStation Home, Account Management or play online," says Matthew Harper, a senior manager for PlayStation's digital platforms. "PSN enabled websites will not be able to service users, including this one." That means blog.us.playstation.com.

The PlayStation Twitter feed will provide the official notice when PSN is back online. If like me, Monday is your DC Universe Online bowling night, that'll tell you when it's all clear to resume gaming.